Montana Scarf

by Craig on October 9, 2008

It’s started to get chilly in the mornings here in Philadelphia. It warms up as the day goes on, yet there’s still a sense of fall in the air. One morning, without warning, it will be cold. And even though I only have a short walk to the shop, I hate to be cold. In preparation for that day, I knit the Montana Scarf.

Made from Tahki Montana yarn, a beautiful bulky 100% unprocessed wool roving, the Montana Scarf is a whopping 7 inches wide by 84 inches long. In the event of extreme cold, you could wrap it around your nose and mouth – even over your head, if you wanted. And while it’s large and warm, it’s light and comfortable.

I recently finished a pair of mittens for one of my friends, and of course, she now wants a scarf to go with them! I thought this pattern would be perfect! I’m actually using a lighter weight yarn (a little heavier than worsted weight), so I am using smaller needles (10 1/2) and started with 36 stitches. So far it looks amazing!

I bet next she will be asking for a hat to match too – ah well, the life of a knitter is always busy!

Thank you SO much for this pattern! I usually get little bursts of energy to try out new patterns, and this one is looking SO beautiful! I’m making a rustic green one for my boyfriend and a black lambs wool one for myself… WHICH by the way, will be replacing the $42 scarf I was asking for a Christmas present! Yay for saving money!

Thanks for the pattern. I’ve been looking fo something to use with the stash of Lopi yarn. This sounds like just the ticket. We also live where snow and wind make it unplesant to walk to the car in the mornings.

Thanks for the pattern. I started this today (Monday, December 22) at work as a Christmas present for myself. The pattern is one I can easily remember and it works up beautifully. I know I will be making this scarf again and again. Thank you very much!!

Thanks for the great pattern! I’m making it with a beautiful deep smoky plum 100% baby alpaca (so soft and lofty) and it is coming out beautifully! I’m almost done and can’t wait to wear it. Cast on 24 stitches and am using 10 1/2 needles, so it is about 5 3/4″ wide. Love the alternative-rib type pattern, as it doesn’t curl in and so no need to block it. Thanks again! My husband really likes it, too, so will make it in wool for him.

I would really like to make a matching hat for this scarf, but am not sure how many to cast on, but more importantly, how to do the decreases so as not to lose the established pattern. Do you by any chance have a pattern for the hat to match this scarf? If not, do you think if I worked the decreases (k2tog or p2tog) only on the K1,P1 rows that it would come out alright? Thank you in advance for your thoughts and expertise!

I really like this pattern and have knit it up about 5 times now. It works well with all kinds of yarns. In knitting it up as written, I found the pattern was not matched on the two sides and it appears to come out evenly if you knit it in multiples of 6 plus 3, so casting on 27 or 33. Thanks for posting this. It’s a great pattern for guys!!

I love this pattern, it is my favorite for a man’s scarf pattern. I made it up in a hunter green. Next one will be for myself. I really like how it has the same look on both sides. Thanks for sharing it.

I love this pattern! I’ve made 3 different scarves for my 3 college kids. I’ve made them in collegiate stripes in their own colors and they love them!!!! My husband even asked for one and we live in FLORIDA!!! Thanks for this pattern.

I actually have a yarn from Montana (Mountain Colors, from Corvalis, MT) that I think will make up beautifully in this pattern for my guy. It’s a merino wool multi-color twist – We’ll see. Definitely need it in the wind and cold out there! I didn’t know if you are familiar with the Mountain Colors yarns or not – They are beautiful!

Craig, thanks for this pattern it makes a great ‘stash reducer’. I am making it for my husband for our visit to Maine next week, just thought you might like to know that your pattern has gone international. Jeanette (from England)

I found this via a Ravelry search “Man Scarf.” ; ) Love the stitch. Thanks, Craig. Here’s an idea: I started my version with an inch of K3, P3 ribbing (gleaned from another Man Scarf). It draws in the edge ever so slightly – a nice beginning and finish.

Hi Craig – Thanks for this great pattern! I’m planning on making it for my boyfriend after I finish another project. My question is that I’ve seen some scarves where the ends curl in, but yours doesn’t seem to have that problem. Is it because of the bulky yarn? I’m using a slightly different yarn (Cascade 128 Superwash) that calls for size 10 needles, so still on the thicker side. Do you think I’ll encounter that problem? Thanks again!

Hi Catherine, I didn’t have a problem with curling on any of the scarves I’ve made and I followed the pattern as it’s written. I think Jill’s suggestion, though, is a good one that maybe you should try. Just start and end with an inch or two of K3, P3 ribbing. Have fun!

I love this pattern. I’ve knitted for a little over 2 yrs now making everything for everyone else first. I finally broke down this past winter( yes I am just now writing a review LOL ) and knit up a beautiful scarf for myself using this pattern. I used a bulky weight pure baby alpaca yarn from my favorite shop here in Wisconsin It took me about three skiens on about a 10 1/2 needle and it just looks beautiful and is so warm. I am asthmatic and wisconsin winters can really hit me hard. So I use it pretty much from November until the cold weather finally lifts in march even april. I love it. And have gotten many compliements on it from knitters and non-knitters alike. Always giving credit to the ” montana scarf ” I can’t thank you enough for posting this pattern. Also, I did noticed that in following the advice of the cast on in multi of 6 plus 3 the scarf actually lays much nicer when not in use and seems to wrap better when in use. So thank you to those to figured that out. I wish all the knitters out there … Happy knitting. I know I am a disabled female so I use mine for pain management. There is something very theraputic about the sound of the needles and the soft beautiful yarn. Just watch everything take shape from there is the icing on the cupcake : – )

Dear Craig; To add to all the other knitters’ thanks, here I am thanking you two years after your first posters’ comments, which should tell you what a popular pattern this is. I am knitting it in a gloriously rich red in Rowan Big Wool and it lies beautifully (I’m making two, for Christmas presents; the other in black). Many thanks again, from the Isle of Man (British Isles), and Happy Christmas.

Dear Craig – thank you so much for this pattern, I have used it many times over and it is one of my favorite go to scarf patterns because it is so beautiful and unique, while being super simple. i’ve made matching scarfs for my nephews just casting on fewer stitches and they have gorgeous scarfs to keep them warm now! happy holidays.

I am using Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends. The color is dark, called Ebony but looks like charcoal to me, flecks of a light gray in loose hairs otherwise a very dark gray. Its a bulky, so I am using 10’s. I can’t remember if I have 3 skeins or not. Though I don’t know if I want mine so long anyway.

I am making this for my husband. I’ve only done a few rows and so far the stitch is harder to see, I am hoping as I go it becomes more obvious. If not maybe this will be charity, or he’ll have 2 of the same stitch but different colors. It seemed like a very good pattern for a man to me. (A woman can pull of a man’s pattern, but men can’t always pull off a woman’s.)

I’m a fairly new knitter and like the simplicity of this pattern. It seems to work up quickly even with my slower throwing style. If I do a second I’ll find a nice super bulky and use bigger needles, and I think I’ll knit tighter as well. Thanks for the pattern!

Saw it better, liked that it was subtle with the darker color, but with the alpaca he didn’t care for the shedding. I think I’ll complete that one and send it to my brother in DC, it gets cold there too! While I can’t afford Montana at its regualr price I found it on sale online and got it in the slate color, keeps it dark (he’s color shy, we’re working on it) but shuold look good still. I had gotten some natural undyed wool from my local yarn store but I think I’d have to double it to make the stitch show up well with the smaller needle and thinner yarn, and at $20/ hank- even if it is 400 yrds- thats a lot to spend if I don’t really like how its turning out. Now to find a nice pattern for a sock yarn I am using for a scarf for my 8 yr old son….. So many things to make, one day I’ll re-start the blanket for my brother and sister in law, and make the scarf for my sister, a hat for my daughter, maybe even something for myself sometime!

Hello Craig, I am just beginning to knit and am considering the Montana Scarf as my first project. Do you find this advisable or should I start with something else and then knit that scarf later? Any advise or suggestions you would care to share would greatly be appreciated.

Bobby, I think the Montana Scarf is a good scarf for beginners. If you haven’t already started, I might begin with something that’s the same on both sides. For example, cast on an even number of stitches and k2, p2 (knit two, purl two) across each row. Have fun!